Neill Blomkamp‘s “Chappie” is expected to top the box office this weekend, but critics are split on whether it’s better than his Oscar-nominated directorial debut “District 9” or even “Elysium.”

The science-fiction tale starring Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel and Sigourney Weaver about the eponymous futuristic police droid that becomes the first robot to develop the ability to think and feel for himself has a 41 percent “rotten” approval rating from critics counted so far on Rotten Tomatoes.

Despite commending the visual effects, TheWrap‘s James Rocchi was among those who found the South African filmmaker’s third feature to be no better than his second, “Elysium,” which many felt was a weaker vision of the future he sold audiences in “District 9.”

“And yet all of the visual rapture in the film — the unleashing of the Moose, the way Chappie’s movements become more and more human — can’t replace the numbing sensation that comes as ‘Chappie’ recycles and riffs on ‘District 9’ and ‘Elysium’ from its opening credits to its hackneyed final shot,” Rocchi wrote in his review. “Throughout this film you’ll be told repeatedly in whispers and shouts that the now self-aware Chappie has feelings. It’s too bad that neither the philosophy nor the pyrotechnics on-screen in ‘Chappie’ can distract you from your own sinking feeling that you’ve seen almost all of this before.”

Arizona Republic critic Bill Goodykoontz summed up “Chappie” as “good work buried inside a movie made up of intriguing ideas that never really go anywhere.”

“When a robot is the best actor in a movie, the movie has troubles,” Goodykoontz wrote. “Jackman grows increasingly cartoonish, Weaver is wasted and Patel just sort of exists, typing furiously on a laptop every now and then to let us know he’s doing something. However, Blomkamp regular Sharlto Copley is quite good — as Chappie, in a motion-capture performance.”

Vanity Fair critic Richard Lawson’s opinion was blunt. “‘Chappie’ is a mess,” he wrote before saying a few nice things about a film he believes was ruined by too many plot holes.

“He’s a good director, he’s got visual and aural taste. But, a writer he is not,” Lawson said. “Blomkamp, and his co-writer Terri Tatchell, take far too many shortcuts, turning what could have been a thoughtful sci-fi movie about singularity and technological evolution into a meaningless jumble of deus ex machina contrivances and action movie cliches.”

The Sony Pictures release does have its fans, however. And with only 32 reviews available at the moment, the critics consensus could turn in favor of “Chappie.”

“Writer-director Neill Blomkamp is in love with action. He’s in love with CGI characters, computers in general and the dystopian future that is always two or three or five years away and always horrible. Yet ‘Chappie’ is invested with such humanity, a seemingly effortless delicacy of feeling, that it makes one suspect that, even if movies continue in this machine direction, they’ll never fully give way to machines,” San Francisco Chronicle critic Mick LaSalle wrote in his review. “When you get to the level of art, there’s a human strain that’s irreducible, that has to be there, or else there’s nothing. And Blomkamp is definitely an artist.”

Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw found “Chappie” to be “an entertaining new variation on the traditional droid theme.”

“In fact, it’s a witty tribute to Robocop itself, wittier and more interesting than the recent dull remake. After the disappointment of Elysium, Blomkamp is back on his game,” Bradshaw wrote. “Chappie is a broad, brash picture, which does not allow itself to get bogged down in arguing about whether or not “artificial intelligence” is possible. It has subversive energy and fun.”

Time Out critic Tom Huddleston acknowledged the flaws other critics pounced on, but ultimately recommended what he described as a “lovably scattergun cybernetic satire.”

“‘Chappie’ the film isn’t so perfect. The plot is threadbare, the nods to ‘RoboCop’ are laid on thick and it’s hard to overlook the fact that Blomkamp has made another Jo’burg-based movie strangely lacking in black characters,” Huddleston wrote. “But with its stunning urban landscapes, trash-talking titanium hero and mulleted, God-bothering bad guy (Hugh Jackman, never better), this hugely entertaining oddity could never be mistaken for the work of any other filmmaker.”

"I, Frankenstein": Alternatively titled, "I, Forgot This Move Ever Existed," the modern take on Mary Shelley's horror icon is most memorable for being a bad idea star Aaron Eckhart probably already turned into a repressed memory.

Lionsgate

"The Monuments Men": What happens when director and star George Clooney recruits acting titans Bill Murray, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman and recent Best Actor Oscar winner Jean Dujardin to make a World War II drama? Critics write bad reviews, and the Nazis lose, or something. It's hard to remember more than that, since Clooney's BFF Brad Pitt put out a much better entry in the same genre eight months later.

Columbia Pictures

"Pompeii": This Carrie-Ann Moss and Kit Harington disaster flick about ancient Rome feels like ancient history, but it actually hit theaters in Feb. 2014. We're sure Sony Picture Entertainment would love for all traces of the seismic flop to be buried under a mountain of ash -- much like Pompeii was itself -- and permanently forgotten.

Sony Pictures

"The Pyramid": This found-footage thriller was dead upon arrival when it opened wide on Dec. 12. Fortunately for first-time director Gregory Levasseur, he wrote the screenplays for "High Tension" and "The Hills Have Eyes" remake, which will hold a place in horror history for years to come.

Twentieth Century Fox

"Men, Women & Children": Director Jason Reitman earned rave reviews for "Thank You for Smoking," "Juno" and "Up in the Air." His latest effort, however, failed to impress critics. Even the trailer failed to impress viewers, because it only grossed $1.7 million worldwide.

Paramount Pictures

"The Legend of Hercules": Not one but two movies about legendary Greek mythology hero Hercules came out this year, but neither made much of a splash. Kellan Lutz never had a chance with "The Legend of Hercules," which had a January release, but maybe he can rest easy knowing that even Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's August "Hercules" came and went without anyone noticing.

Summit Entertainment

"Need for Speed": A popular video game franchise, cool car chase and Jesse Pinkman from "Breaking Bad" sure seemed like a recipe for success, but the video game adaptation failed to create much excitement amongst any of the various fan groups that DreamWorks and Disney were banking on.

Walt Disney

"Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit": Tom Clancy's famous literary spy Jack Ryan has been on screen so many times -- played by A-list leading men Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin and Ben Affleck -- that a new iteration seemed inevitable. But then director Kenneth Branagh's reboot starring Chris Pine came and went without many people noticing. Expect another reboot before you see a sequel.

Paramount Pictures

"Blended": Third time was definitely not the charm for Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. While the Warner Bros. comedy tripled its budget at the box office, it will only be remembered for being one of Sandler's worst comedies yet, providing audiences didn't immediately wipe it from their memory when they walked out of the theater.

Warner Bros.

"Walk of Shame": Elizabeth Banks should actually be grateful that this movie has already escaped the minds of moviegoers, because the reviews weren't just bad -- they were atrocious.

Focus Features

"Into the Storm": Who can forget that flying cow in "Twister"? The giant tidal wave crushing Téa Leoni in "Deep Impact"? Or Steven Tyler's vocals in "Armageddon"? Now who can remember the names of the actors that ventured "Into the Storm" for Warner Bros. last summer?

Warner Bros.

"As Above, So Below": You can't tell from the title, but this is a found footage horror movie about people exploring the catacombs beneath the streets of Paris. And if you didn't know that, then you can probably also tell it didn't do very well in theaters.

Universal Pictures

"Brick Mansions": People are too busy looking forward to seeing Paul Walker's final performance in "Furious 7" to remember his in the American remake of French action flick "District B13."

Relativity Media

"Before I Go to Sleep": This psychological thriller boasted a star-studded cast, including Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong, yet it only made $15 million worldwide when released in October.

Clarius Entertainment

"The Good Lie": This Warner Bros. release starring Reese Witherspoon actually earned rave reviews. Too bad it only earned $2.6 million at the box office. Luckily, Witherspoon managed to generate some awards buzz and secure a Golden Globe nomination for a different drama the critics loved.

Warner Bros.

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Remember when Aaron Eckhart played Frankenstein’s monster? Neither do we

"I, Frankenstein": Alternatively titled, "I, Forgot This Move Ever Existed," the modern take on Mary Shelley's horror icon is most memorable for being a bad idea star Aaron Eckhart probably already turned into a repressed memory.